MEGAN ZIMLICH

Destination: TOKYO

When did you realize that you wanted to take a shot at making an Olympic team?

I have always dreamt of going to the Olympics since my younger days in gymnastics. But as far as pole vault goes, I committed to going for it in 2018. After completing a two year, full-time MBA program and graduate assistantship at the University of Arkansas, I found myself at a crossroads. Scott and I were in a long-distance relationship by then. He and a few others supported my desire to keep pole vaulting and to find a way to make it work. I considered a few different locations, but ultimately chose to go all in with him in North Carolina. When I took that leap, it changed my life in a wonderful way and was very liberating!

Who has been the most influential person in your athletic development and why?

My mom. She has been my biggest athletic supporter from the beginning and still is very supportive of me today. She instilled me with self-belief that I was different and capable of great things. She helped me succeed in gymnastics by coaching me to learn new skills and put in extra work using a little gymnastics setup we put together at home. My mom’s incredible determination and strength has been an inspiring example for me to follow as an athlete.

After gymnastics, my mom supported me the same way in every sport I chose – diving, swimming, and track and field. We spent so many hours traveling to practices and meets that we truly became a team. She gave me every opportunity and privilege to go big and go far. It has meant a lot to have someone learning all the technical aspects of these different events alongside me. She has also supported me financially – she bought me my high school poles and my first post-collegiate poles. I am so lucky to have an amazing mother like her!

What changed in your training to take you from an average pole vaulter to an Olympic hopeful?

A combination of getting stronger, faster, and becoming a better technical vaulter… all with a focused desire to give my best effort in practices and competitions.

How did the postponement of the 2020 Olympics affect you or help you?

The postponement definitely helped me. I was not in a good head space this time last year to perform my best. I had put so much pressure on myself to perform and it just backfired on me completely. The extra time was ideal to help me relax, reset, and put in some more good work to get better – which I did.

How have you handled adversity or setback in your athletic career and what was the process like?

Adversity and setbacks are things we often deal with as athletes, and they come in many forms. In my career, I have handled some situations fairly well, and others not as well. What I have learned is that the biggest difference in how we come out the other side of these challenges is largely determined by our outlook. We can prolong and magnify our setbacks with a bad attitude, or we can accelerate and diminish our setbacks with a positive, determined spirit.

Most recently, I competed in the American Track League final in Arkansas at the end of February with an ankle injury. I hurt it the week before and couldn’t run or do anything on it. I hopped in the car to drive across the country to Arkansas with my training group, not knowing if I would physically even be able to compete. With that possibility in mind, I set my attitude to enjoy the experience and people around me, regardless of what happened.

At the meet, I jogged around before warmups and still didn’t feel like I could even run 100% because it hurt so badly. I wavered during warm-ups as the pain came and went with adrenaline. Somewhere in there, I decided that I could still jump a few more times. I thought if I could just get down the runway, I could plant a pole and get on top of it and over the bar.

I chose to compete from a shorter run, so it was fewer steps I would have to take on my ankle. I came in higher than I ever have before at 4.30m to minimize my jumps as I knew they might be limited. I cleared it, and then took some really good shots at a lifetime best, placing third in a meet I almost walked away from. Sometimes we can surprise ourselves when we remove our expectations.

A good truth to remember is that setbacks are temporary, and they are only as large as you make them. The time will pass for any setbacks that may pop up, so we might as well make the time positive and productive, no matter how long and painful our situation may seem. It’s how you handle your attitude and actions during that down time that matters most, because for any type of adversity - whether it is physical or mental - the mind is powerful. We can either let it work for us or against us. We may have to get creative in our training sometimes if we have to take some time off to heal, but there is always something you can work to improve upon.

What is your training routine in preparation for the Olympic Trials?

My situation is a little different right now as I am still dealing with that ankle injury. I am doing everything I can do to stay strong, so I focus on strength training 3-4 times per week and biking another 2-3 days a week, with some high bar workouts. Sometimes, all we can do is our best and just be patient until we get the green light to do everything we want.

How do you prepare emotionally to train and compete?

I have found that meditation, reading, and writing help calm my mind and direct my thoughts to be where I need them to be. Visualization is also helpful, but I get the most out of challenging myself in practices. Then when it comes time for the meets, I know I’ve already been there.

What have you sacrificed to chase the Olympic dream?

A job with a better paycheck. But I wouldn’t trade money for where I am in life. I can always go get a job and make more money, but I will never be able to get this time back. I have had incredible experiences and met so many amazing people while pursuing something that means a lot to me. This journey has helped me grow as a person in many ways. To me, this is what life is all about – chasing our personal bests, and experiencing great adventures with a community I love.

What do you do to support yourself financially?

I have had three different part-time jobs during my time here that allow me flexibility to train and finances to support myself. I also coach and have started teaching fitness classes at Vaulthouse as well.

How do you balance your work and Vaulthouse with your own training?

I work in the mornings so my afternoons are free to train and coach.

Can you tell us about your blog?

Sure! It is called Making It Possible and it falls under the health and wellness realm. This blog focuses on mentality because that is something I have been working on growing in the past year especially. The blog is a tool that keeps me on track with how I think and approach life. These lessons of self-discovery and confidence should be shared. I want to be an example to inspire others to live their best lives in a happy, healthy way.

If you knew then what you know now, what would you have changed about your athletic career?

Make changes sooner and not be so hard on myself.

With limited meets taking place as a result of Covid-19, how are you approaching the year?

I am approaching it the same as any year, as best I can. There is more freedom to train and get better with fewer meets. We are fortunate to be able to host meets at Vaulthouse to stay sharp!

How do you think becoming an Olympian would change your life?

I don’t think my life would change much, honestly. I may be more impressive to a few more people by claiming that title, but I will still be the same person! Becoming an Olympian would be an incredible honor, don’t get me wrong, but there is so much more to this journey than just that one part. The Olympics is something that everyone outside the track world knows and celebrates. Because of its widespread relatability, I think we put value on that one event when there is so much more to be celebrated in a sports journey. At this point, I am just honored and ecstatic to be chasing my best while competing amongst the best in the world.

What are your interests and professional goals outside of pole vaulting?

I want to explore real estate. I have always been curious about it and I think learning about property investment would be fun, challenging, and rewarding. I also love health and wellness, fitness, athletics, exploring the outdoors and new places, and cooking. I want to dive into building my own business that ties in a few of these passions to create a really fun community.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I minored in Spanish in college and studied abroad in Spain for one summer. It was one of the coolest experiences outside of track and field for me to immerse myself in a completely different side of the world!

How do you support Scott’s goals while pursuing your own? How do you balance it all?

We are a unit. Our goals are shared. We communicate really well with each other, which sometimes means having difficult conversations. We coach each other, train together, coach others, and also help run a club together, so balance is really important. We both share a love for pole vaulting and our lives are so intertwined because of it, but we also make time to enjoy each other outside of the sport as well in different settings.

What is next for you after the Olympics?

We would like to keep training and coaching! We also talk a lot about buying a house, so that is a big possibility. Last but not least, we would like to start planning a wedding… Covid has made that quite challenging but we want to set a date!